U.S. patent application number 16/051790 was filed with the patent office on 2020-02-06 for vehicle passenger seat for passenger seating in a vehicle.
The applicant listed for this patent is GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC. Invention is credited to Daniel W. Booth, Samir Datta, Samuel Derian, Olga Naumenko, Michael G. Schuplin, JR., Sarah E. Smith.
Application Number | 20200039405 16/051790 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 69168548 |
Filed Date | 2020-02-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20200039405 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Naumenko; Olga ; et
al. |
February 6, 2020 |
VEHICLE PASSENGER SEAT FOR PASSENGER SEATING IN A VEHICLE
Abstract
A vehicle passenger seat for side-by-side passenger seating in a
vehicle includes a first seat defining a first seating position,
and a raised section positioned laterally adjacent to the first
seat. The raised section includes a vertical wall laterally facing
and defining a lateral extent of the first seating position and the
vertical wall is laterally extendable between a stowed position
defining a first volume in the first seating position and a
deployed position defining a second volume in the first seating
position that is less than the first volume.
Inventors: |
Naumenko; Olga; (Grosse
Pointe Woods, MI) ; Smith; Sarah E.; (Harrison
Township, MI) ; Datta; Samir; (Rochester Hills,
MI) ; Schuplin, JR.; Michael G.; (Grand Blanc,
MI) ; Derian; Samuel; (Detroit, MI) ; Booth;
Daniel W.; (Troy, MI) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC |
Detroit |
MI |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
69168548 |
Appl. No.: |
16/051790 |
Filed: |
August 1, 2018 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60N 2/777 20180201;
B60N 2/914 20180201; B60N 2/01 20130101; B60N 2/99 20180201 |
International
Class: |
B60N 2/75 20060101
B60N002/75; B60N 2/01 20060101 B60N002/01; B60N 2/90 20060101
B60N002/90 |
Claims
1. A vehicle passenger seat for passenger seating in a vehicle, the
seat comprising: a first seat defining a first seating position;
and a raised section positioned laterally adjacent the first seat,
wherein the raised section includes a vertical wall laterally
facing and defining a lateral extent of the first seating position
and wherein the vertical wall is laterally extendable between a
stowed position defining a first volume in the first seating
position and a deployed position defining a second volume in the
first seating position that is less than the first volume.
2. The seat of claim 1, further comprising a second seat defining a
second seating position laterally adjacent to the first seat and
wherein the raised section is positioned between the first and
second seats.
3. The seat of claim 1, wherein the vertical wall is slidably
translatable between the stowed and deployed positions.
4. The seat of claim 1, further comprising a four-bar linkage
connecting the vertical wall to the raised section.
5. The seat of claim 1, wherein the four-bar linkage comprises a
planar four-bar linkage.
6. The seat of claim 1, further comprising a pneumatic bladder
connecting the vertical wall to the raised section and an air pump
adapted to selectively pump air into and pump air out of the
pneumatic bladder to move the vertical wall between the stowed and
deployed positions.
7. The seat of claim 1, further comprising a pleated wall section
connecting the vertical wall to the raised section.
8. The seat of claim 7, wherein the pleated wall section comprises
a plurality of bi-stable fold sections.
9. The seat of claim 1, further comprising a slide connecting the
vertical wall section to the raised section, wherein the slide
comprises selectively engageable detents corresponding to each of
the stowed and deployed positions.
10. The seat of claim 1, further comprising a rotatable threaded
rod engaging a threaded section in the raised section and having a
distal end rotatably engaging the vertical wall.
11. A vehicle comprising: a propulsion system; and a vehicle
passenger seat that includes: a first seat defining a first seating
position; and a raised section positioned laterally adjacent the
first seat, wherein the raised section includes a vertical wall
laterally facing and defining a lateral extent of the first seating
position and wherein the vertical wall is laterally extendable
between a stowed position defining a first volume in the first
seating position and a deployed position defining a second volume
in the first seating position that is less than the first
volume.
12. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle passenger seat
further includes a second seat defining a second seating position
laterally adjacent to the first seat and wherein the raised section
is positioned between the first and second seats.
13. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the vertical wall is slidably
translatable between the stowed and deployed positions.
14. The vehicle of claim 11, further comprising a four-bar linkage
connecting the vertical wall to the raised section.
15. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the four-bar linkage comprises
a planar four-bar linkage.
16. The vehicle of claim 11, further comprising a pneumatic bladder
connecting the vertical wall to the raised section and an air pump
adapted to selectively pump air into and pump air out of the
pneumatic bladder to move the vertical wall between the stowed and
deployed positions.
17. The vehicle of claim 11, further comprising a pleated wall
section connecting the vertical wall to the raised section.
18. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the pleated wall section
comprises a plurality of bi-stable fold sections.
19. The vehicle of claim 11, further comprising a slide connecting
the vertical wall section to the raised section, wherein the slide
comprises selectively engageable detents corresponding to each of
the stowed and deployed positions.
20. The vehicle of claim 11, further comprising a rotatable
threaded rod engaging a threaded section in the raised section and
having a distal end rotatably engaging the vertical wall.
Description
FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle passenger seat
for passenger seating in a vehicle.
INTRODUCTION
[0002] This introduction generally presents the context of the
disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it
is described in this introduction, as well as aspects of the
description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time
of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior
art against this disclosure.
[0003] Seats in motor vehicles are typically designed to
accommodate full size adults and require significant adjustment
and/or modification to adequately accommodate a small adult and/or
a child. In many cases, this may only be adequately accomplished
through the use of a child seat which may either be installed by an
adult into the vehicle or which may be integrated into the seat.
For vehicles which are owned and operated by the parent of a child,
a child safety seat may be left in the vehicle in an installed
condition and only infrequently removed when necessary to
accommodate an adult in the seat where the child is typically
seated. However, when a parent travels with their child and/or
switches to another vehicle, the parent needs to carry the child
seat with them and repeatedly install and remove the child seat as
they switch between vehicles. This is inconvenient, a burden to
carry the child seat around, and may add significant time to a
trip, as the seat needs to be installed and removed every time the
vehicle is switched.
[0004] This may be particularly problematic when traveling using
public and/or semi-public mobility services. For example, a taxi
may or may not have the seat structure which enables installation
of a child seat. Further, in many jurisdictions, taxis and other
public transportation systems may be exempted from accommodating a
child seat. It is safest for a child to be positioned and
restrained in an appropriately sized child seat, regardless of the
mode of transportation.
[0005] It is desirable to provide a vehicle seat which may easily
adapt to accommodate any size human whether a full-sized adult, a
small adult, and/or a child.
SUMMARY
[0006] In an exemplary aspect, a vehicle passenger seat for
side-by-side passenger seating in a vehicle includes a first seat
defining a first seating position, and a raised section positioned
laterally adjacent to the first seat. The raised section includes a
vertical wall laterally facing and defining a lateral extent of the
first seating position and the vertical wall is laterally
extendable between a stowed position defining a first volume in the
first seating position and a deployed position defining a second
volume in the first seating position that is less than the first
volume.
[0007] In this manner, a vehicle passenger seat is easily
configurable to accommodate passengers of varying sizes including a
full-size adult, a smaller adult and/or a child. This obviates the
necessity of installing a child seat into the vehicle when
accommodating a child in the vehicle without interfering with the
ability to comfortably accommodate a full-size adult in the same
seat.
[0008] In another exemplary aspect, the seat further includes a
second seat defining a second seating position laterally adjacent
to the first seat and the raised section is positioned between the
first and second seats.
[0009] In another exemplary aspect, the vertical wall is slidably
translatable between the stowed and deployed positions.
[0010] In another exemplary aspect, the seat further includes a
four-bar linkage connecting the vertical wall to the raised
section.
[0011] In another exemplary aspect, the four-bar linkage includes a
planar four-bar linkage.
[0012] In another exemplary aspect, the seat further includes a
pneumatic bladder connecting the vertical wall to the raised
section and an air pump adapted to selectively pump air into and
pump air out of the pneumatic bladder to move the vertical wall
between the stowed and deployed positions.
[0013] In another exemplary aspect, the seat further includes a
pleated wall section connecting the vertical wall to the raised
section.
[0014] In another exemplary aspect, the pleated wall section
includes a plurality of bi-stable fold sections.
[0015] In another exemplary aspect, the seat further includes a
slide connecting the vertical wall section to the raised section
and the slide includes selectively engageable detents corresponding
to each of the stowed and deployed positions.
[0016] In another exemplary aspect, the seat further includes a
rotatable threaded rod engaging a threaded section in the raised
section and having a distal end rotatably engaging the vertical
wall.
[0017] Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure
will become apparent from the detailed description provided below.
It should be understood that the detailed description and specific
examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not
intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.
[0018] The above features and advantages, and other features and
advantages, of the present invention are readily apparent from the
detailed description, including the claims, and exemplary
embodiments when taken in connection with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] The present disclosure will become more fully understood
from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings,
wherein:
[0020] FIG. 1 is perspective view of a vehicle including a vehicle
passenger seat for side-by-side passenger seating in accordance
with an exemplary embodiment;
[0021] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a vehicle passenger seat for
side-by-side passenger seating in accordance with an exemplary
embodiment;
[0022] FIG. 3 is a partial cut-away perspective view of a raised
section and vertical wall of a vehicle passenger seat for
side-by-side passenger seating in accordance with another exemplary
embodiment;
[0023] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional elevation view of a raised
section and vertical wall of a vehicle passenger seat for
side-by-side passenger seating in accordance with another exemplary
embodiment;
[0024] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional elevation view of a raised
section and vertical wall of a vehicle passenger seat for
side-by-side passenger seating in accordance with another exemplary
embodiment;
[0025] FIG. 6 is a partial cut-away perspective view of a raised
section and vertical wall of a vehicle passenger seat for
side-by-side passenger seating in accordance with another exemplary
embodiment;
[0026] FIG. 7 is a partial cut-away perspective view of a raised
section and vertical wall of a vehicle passenger seat for
side-by-side passenger seating in accordance with another exemplary
embodiment;
[0027] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional elevation view of a raised
section and vertical wall of a vehicle passenger seat for
side-by-side passenger seating in accordance with another exemplary
embodiment;
[0028] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a vertical wall and slide
mechanism in accordance with another exemplary embodiment; and
[0029] FIG. 10 is a partial cut-away perspective view of a raised
section and vertical wall of a vehicle passenger seat for
side-by-side passenger seating in accordance with another exemplary
embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0030] Reference will now be made in detail to several examples of
the disclosure that are illustrated in accompanying drawings.
Whenever possible, the same or similar reference numerals are used
in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like
parts or steps. The drawings are in simplified form and are not to
precise scale. For purposes of convenience and clarity only,
directional terms such as top, bottom, left, right, up, over,
above, below, beneath, rear, and front, may be used with respect to
the drawings. These and similar directional terms are not to be
construed to limit the scope of the disclosure in any manner.
Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers
correspond to like or similar components throughout the several
figures, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle 100 with a
vehicle passenger seat 102 for side-by-side passenger seating in
accordance with an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 2 illustrates a
perspective view of a vehicle passenger seat 200 for side-by-side
passenger seating in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.
[0031] The vehicle passenger seat 200 includes a first seat 202
defining a first seating position and a second seat 204 defining a
second seating position. The first and second seats, 202 and 204,
are positioned laterally adjacent to each other. The vehicle
passenger seat 200 further includes a raised section 206 that is
positioned between the first seat 202 and the second seat 204. The
raised section 206 includes a vertical wall 208 that is laterally
extendable between a stowed position and a deployed position. In
FIG. 2, the vertical wall 208 is illustrated in the deployed
position. Optionally, the raised section 206 may also include
another vertical wall 210 on an opposing side of the raised section
206. In FIG. 2, the vertical wall 210 is illustrated in the stowed
position. The volume available for a passenger occupying the
vehicle passenger seat 200 is thereby adjustable by selectively
moving the vertical wall 208 between the stowed position and the
deployed position. A larger, full-size person may prefer that the
vertical wall 208 be positioned in the stowed position while a
smaller person or child may prefer that the vertical wall 208 be
positioned in the deployed position. In this manner, the width or
volume of the seat may be adjusted according to the size of a
passenger occupying the seat.
[0032] While FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a vehicle passenger seat
having a first seat and a second seat positioned laterally adjacent
to each other in a side-by-side configuration, it is understood
that the passenger seat is not limited to any number of seating
positions. For example, the passenger seat may include only a
single seating position or any number of a plurality of seating
positions without limitation and still be encompassed by the
present disclosure.
[0033] Movement of the vertical wall 208 to the deployed position
may provide access to a volume 212 in which items may be stored.
Alternatively, access to the volume 212 may be restricted by
providing a cover surface (not shown) which encloses the volume
212.
[0034] FIG. 3 illustrates a partial cut-away perspective view of a
raised section 300 and vertical wall 302 of a vehicle passenger
seat for side-by-side passenger seating in accordance with another
exemplary embodiment. The vertical wall 302 is translatable in the
direction illustrated by arrow 304 between a stowed position (not
shown) and the deployed position illustrated in FIG. 3. The
vertical wall 302 is connected to the raised section 300 by a
four-bar linkage 306. The four-bar linkage 306 operates to maintain
the orientation of the vertical wall 302 (i.e. maintaining the
vertical wall 302 in a vertical orientation) while moving between
the stowed and deployed positions. The four-bar linkage 306
includes a plurality of links which are pivotally hinged to each
other and each of the vertical wall 302 and raised section 300.
While FIG. 3 illustrates only a single four bar linkage 306 it is
to be understood that the vertical wall 302 may optionally be
connected to the raised section 300 by more than one four bar
linkage 306.
[0035] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional elevation view of a raised
section 400 and vertical wall 402 of a vehicle passenger seat for
side-by-side passenger seating in accordance with another exemplary
embodiment. The vertical wall 402 is connected to the raised
section 400 by a plurality of four-bar linkages 404 which may
improve the stability and control over the orientation of the
vertical wall 402 relative to the raised section 400 while moving
between stowed and deployed positions.
[0036] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional elevation view of a raised
section 500 and vertical wall 502 of a vehicle passenger seat for
side-by-side passenger seating in accordance with another exemplary
embodiment. The vertical wall 502 is connected to the raised
section 500 with a four-bar linkage 504. At least one of the links
in the four-bar linkage 504 may be slidably connected to the
vertical wall 502 as illustrated at, for example, 506 in FIG.
5.
[0037] FIG. 6 is a partial cut-away perspective view of a raised
section 600 and vertical wall 602 of a vehicle passenger seat for
side-by-side passenger seating in accordance with another exemplary
embodiment. The vertical wall 602 is connected to the raised
section 600 by a pneumatic bladder 604. The pneumatic bladder 604
is in communication with an air pump 606 which is selectively
actuable to inflate or deflate the pneumatic bladder 604. In this
manner, the vertical wall 602 may be moved between a stowed
position and a deployed position. While FIG. 6 illustrates a single
air pump 606 it is to be understood that the pneumatic bladder 604
may optionally be in communication with multiple air pumps 606.
[0038] FIG. 7 is a partial cut-away perspective view of a raised
section 700 and vertical wall 702 of a vehicle passenger seat for
side-by-side passenger seating in accordance with another exemplary
embodiment. The vertical wall 702 is connected to the raised
section 700 with a pleated wall section 704. The pleated wall
section 704 includes a plurality of bi-stable folds 706 which each
individually may be stable in a folded configuration and/or an open
configuration. The vertical wall 702 may be movable in the
direction illustrated by arrow 708 between a stowed position and a
deployed position by pulling and/or pushing on the vertical wall
708 to sequentially open or close each of the individual bi-stable
folds 706.
[0039] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional elevation view of a raised
section 800 and vertical wall 802 of a vehicle passenger seat for
side-by-side passenger seating in accordance with another exemplary
embodiment. The vertical wall 802 is connected to the raised
section 800 with a pleated wall section 804. The pleated wall
section 804 may operate in a manner similar to the pleated wall
section 704 described with respect to the embodiment illustrated in
FIG. 7. However, in contrast to the pleated wall section 704 which
may be open on the top to provide access to a storage volume from
above, the pleated wall section 804 of FIG. 8 may completely
enclose the volume between the vertical wall 802 and the raised
section 800.
[0040] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a vertical wall 900 and
slide mechanism 902 in accordance with another exemplary
embodiment. The slide mechanism 902 connects the vertical wall 900
to a raised section of a vehicle passenger seat (not shown). The
slide mechanism 902 may operate and be structured in a manner
similar to or identical to that of slide mechanisms which may be
well known for use with drawer mechanisms. The slide mechanism 902
includes a plurality of detents 904 which may interact with the
raised section (not shown) to control the position of the vertical
wall 900 relative to the raised section.
[0041] FIG. 10 is a partial cut-away perspective view of a raised
section 1000 and vertical wall 1002 of a vehicle passenger seat for
side-by-side passenger seating in accordance with another exemplary
embodiment. The vertical wall section 1002 may be rotatably
connected to a distal end of a rotatable threaded rod 1004 that has
a proximal end threadably engaging a threaded section 1006 in the
raised section 1000. In this manner, rotation of the threaded rod
1004 causes the rod 1004 to selectively extend through the threaded
section 1006 of the raised section 1000 which, in turn, causes the
vertical wall 1002 rotatably connected to a distal end of the
threaded rod 1004 to move in and/or out along the lateral axial
direction indicated by arrow 1008. The threaded rod 1004 may be
connected to a rotatable drive (not shown) which may selectively
operate to cause the threaded rod 1004 to rotate as is well known
in the art. While FIG. 10 illustrates a single threaded rod 1004 it
is to be understood that the vertical wall section 1002 may
optionally be connected to the raised section 1000 by multiple
threaded rods 1004.
[0042] This description is merely illustrative in nature and is in
no way intended to limit the disclosure, its application, or uses.
The broad teachings of the disclosure can be implemented in a
variety of forms. Therefore, while this disclosure includes
particular examples, the true scope of the disclosure should not be
so limited since other modifications will become apparent upon a
study of the drawings, the specification, and the following
claims.
* * * * *